


somebody catch my breath

by HybridComplex



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Daemons, Daemon Touching, Hallucinations, M/M, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-15
Updated: 2015-11-15
Packaged: 2018-05-01 18:39:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5216453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HybridComplex/pseuds/HybridComplex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>he only realizes Josh is shaking when a ps3 controller clatters to the floor beside him</p>
            </blockquote>





	somebody catch my breath

Chris is ashamed at how long it takes him to notice. He's been sitting on Josh’s floor for nearly two hours and his thigh is cramping but he feels a vague kind of contentment from Xylia so he ignores it. He hasn’t heard Keahi’s soft hisses in a while, naively thinking she's fallen asleep, and he only realizes Josh is shaking when a ps3 controller clatters to the floor beside him.

He quickly pauses the game and pushes himself up off the floor, digging his fingers into his thigh both for relief and as punishment. He can hear Josh breathing shakily behind him and gives a tug at the golden rope tying him to Xylia to make sure she's on her way back before he turns around.

“You still with me bro?”

Josh doesn’t respond and Chris swears softly. Josh has moved so his back is pressing against the wall, Keahi draped about his neck and shoulders and he wonders distantly if he’d be able to see her shaking along with her human if she wasn’t covered in scales. He hears the sharp sound of hooves on hardwood as he crawls onto the bed.

“Josh, try to focus on me, okay? There’s no one here but you, me and Keahi.” A heavy snort greets this statement and Chris glances behind himself quickly. “And Xylia.”

He sees Josh open his mouth to speak but all that escapes is a small, animal sound of distress that makes Chris feel like he’s been punched in the throat. He fights the urge to reach out, knowing he might only worsen Josh’s panic attack if he thinks that his hallucination is the one touching him.

“Chris.” An antler knocks him gently on the back of the head. “I know you don’t like touching her when they’re like this, but you have to.”

“Okay, shit. I just…” He digs his fingers into his eyes, sighing. Xylia hits him again, harder this time and he reaches back to swat her on the nose.

“Keahi, do you hear me?” Chris shuffles closer, watching the snake for any sign of awareness. “Come on now, gorgeous, you don’t want me to _sing_ , do you?”

It’s hard to read her in this form, he knows that’s why they like it, but Chris thinks he sees her expression change, and then her tongue flicks out in his direction and he feels like a weight’s been lifted off his chest. Josh is still shaking, head jerking every time his eyes drift to the far side of the room, but Keahi is looking at Chris now.

“Yeah, that’s good, focus on me.” He sees her head start to turn, following her human’s eyes. “No no, look at me. I’m here, _we’re_ here, we’re real.”

“Chris?” She uncoils from Josh’s neck a bit, rubbing her head up under his chin so he doesn’t think she’s leaving. “Xylia?”

“Hey, I’m happy you’re back with us, beautiful.” Chris sees his daemon move to the side of the bed, hovering over them as if she’s trying to block out whatever it is they’re seeing. “We’re gonna switch, okay? You remember?”

Keahi flicks her tongue at him and he smiles, reaching out his hands as she shifts forms. She doesn’t hesitate, pressing forward into his grip, grabbing onto him with her little clawed fingers. As soon he lifts her away from Josh, Xylia drops her great big head into his lap, nudging his hand until it settles on her nose.

It takes nearly three minutes for Josh to start petting her, finally reacting to the rush of sensation and emotion as they touch each other’s daemons. It takes another five minutes for him to stop shaking, for his breathing to slow, for his eyes to drift up past Xylia’s antlers to look at Chris. He’s cradling Keahi to his chest, one big hand curled around her back, thumb gently stroking her soft koala fur. Josh sighs as he feels the touch ghost against his own back and lifts his hand to scratch at Xylia’s ears.

Chris shivers, looking up from the daemon in his arms. Josh looks exhausted, slumped against the wall, one hand on Xylia’s head and the other coming up to rub at his eyes. They’ll talk about it later, even though Josh won’t want to, has only reluctantly admitted that it feels like he’s choking when he tries, but for now…

“Let’s take a nap, yeah?”

**Author's Note:**

> this is the first thing ive written in 19 months so its terrible but yolo
> 
> xylia is a boreal woodland caribou (reindeer), keahi is unsettled and its considered to be a symptom of joshs mental illness


End file.
